4-29-11: Boston Red Sox and National Grid Team Up to Add a Little More "Green" to Fenway Park on April 29th

Organizations Promote Clean Environment, Energy and Education

April 29, 2011 - Fans attending the Boston Red Sox game on April 29th may notice that Fenway Park is a little “greener” thanks to an “Earth Day” collaboration between the organization and National Grid. The association encourages fans – young and old – to be a little more conscientious about their decisions when it comes to the environment.

“The Red Sox are committed to incorporating environmentally-friendly practices to the operation of Fenway Park,” said Sam Kennedy, executive vice president and COO of the Red Sox. “National Grid has been our partner in a number of these initiatives and, together, we hope these efforts encourage our fans to do their part to make a difference in communities across New England.”

Throughout Fenway Park, fans will see reminders of the importance of making good decisions when it comes to being responsible about energy and the environment. In addition to the National Grid banners at the entrances, visitors will notice many of the improvements the Red Sox organization has made to Fenway Park over the last several years, including: adding recycling kiosks where fans can earn discounts and coupons by recycling plastic bottles and/or aluminum cans; forming the “Green Team”, now in its fourth year, to proactively collect soda and water bottles and empty cups from fans throughout each home game; working with concessionaire Aramark to use napkins, cups, food containers and wraps made of recycled materials; and increasing the number of low-water usage plumbing fixtures throughout the ballpark.

What fans won’t be able to see is that the organization has worked with National Grid to install 28 solar panels that are expected to produce approximately one-third of the more than 3 million BTUs used to generate hot water. The panels will save the park an estimated 18 tons of CO2 emissions annually.

As part of its sponsorship with the Red Sox, and to further enhance the importance of the day’s messages, National Grid has invited the Green Education Foundation (GEF) – a New England-based non-profit organization that provides sustainability education curricula to K-12 schools across the country – to participate in game day green fun with GEF President Victoria Waters throwing out the first pitch.

“The Red Sox are a staple of life in New England, and whenever they promote something, people pay attention,” said Victoria Waters, GEF’s president and CEO. “We’re so happy to have this opportunity with National Grid to help remind Red Sox fans all across the region about the importance of making good, environmentally friendly decisions.”

Also receiving pre-game recognition will be Nikolos Pinto, a fourth grader from Johnston, R.I., who won GEF/National Grid’s “Power of Action” T-shirt contest. Pinto’s design was selected from hundreds of submissions, as part of a contest that called on elementary school students from across New England to showcase their ideas on how people can work together to protect the planet. The winning design is featured on T-shirts being worn by hundreds of National Grid employees during the company’s Earth Day clean-up efforts across the region. As part of the sponsorship, the Red Sox have also provided 50 tickets to the game, which will be given to Pinto and his classmates and parents so they can enjoy the action.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to work with the Red Sox and GEF through this program,” said Loretta Smith, National Grid’s director of U.S. Corporate Citizenship. “All three organizations share strong ties to New England and, through the power of action, all strive to be leaders in the region when it comes to affecting positive change for our planet.”

Tim Horan, National Grid’s Rhode Island regional president, will join Pinto and Waters for the on-field festivities. Pinto will start the game by calling out the traditional, “play ball!”

National Grid is an international energy delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to over one million LIPA customers. Visit National Grid at www.nationalgridus.com .

Green Education Foundation (GEF), a non-profit organization, is committed to creating a sustainable future through education. GEF provides curriculum and resources to K-12 students and teachers worldwide with the goal of challenging youth to think holistically and critically about global environmental concerns and solutions. GEF’s National Green Week mobilizes millions of students each year to participate in eco-challenges that empower school communities to achieve measurable and sustainable goals in waste reduction and energy and water conservation. For more information visit: www.GreenEducationFoundation.org.

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